to not want to buy family member 50 small presents beginning with T?

[TheDoodler]

I probably am BU and miserable to boot (this is my first time here and i have changed a few details for obv reasons)...but...

Family member's big 50th birthday bash coming up in a couple of months. Her daughter has come up with the hilarious idea that 26 of us buy her 50 small presents each beginning with a certain letter. IABU and grumpy to hate these 'novelty' presents? What is she going to do with them all anyway??

I was going to buy her tickets to a show or something easy classy. I work part time in an office and part time at home self employed....gah! Now i have to be arsed to do this and be involved in it and then stand and watch her unwrap 1300 pieces of crap at her party.

For my MIL's 80th birthday my SIL who is totally demented a little unusual decided my MIL needed 80 of everything - 80 mini cupcakes, 80 rolls, 80 cherry tomatoes (you get the idea!)

Would have been ok if there were 80 of us at the party but there were only 11 adults

Thanks god she didn't do the 80 pressies too, maybe she'll save that one for the next party

I think you should blow the gaff to the birthday girl so she can put her foot down. Nobody is going to be thrilled by the arrival of 1300 pieces of crap!

Buy the tickets she will thank you later when all the crappy ones have broken. They will only talk about for for a few minutes then someone else will take their attention.

Tell them you didn't have the time so didn't want to get it wrong..

This is the most bonkers, dreadful, cheesy, hilarious (not in a good way - in a laughing at you, not with you, way) crappy, wasteful, stupidest idea I've ever heard!

I agree with everyone else on this thread.

Couldn't you start a petition among the saner more amenable relatives pointing out the stupidity pitfalls in this plan?

I'm sure the poor sods with I J Q Z X and Y will be queuing up to add their names, for starters.

maybe spend £50 on the tickets and then feign surprise when the daughter points out that you misinterpreted her plan?

"Oh gosh, really? I was supposed to buy FIFTY presents? I'm so sorry, I completely misunderstood." [crosses fingers behind back]

Fantastic thread. I can't believe the badness of this idea. It's just so misguided.

OP, please post an update thread when it's all done and dusted.

OMG what a terrible idea.

SIL did this for MIL's 65th I think it was, and loads of it was a whole load of horrible crappy shite. For the amount she spent she could have got her such a lovely present as well. We refused to participate and got her some diamond earrings instead.

Oh yes, some poor sod is going to get Z.

The more I think about this, the more hilarious horrifying it sounds. We all must know how awkward it is when you open a crap present and have to pretend to like it while smiling appreciatively and quickly putting it to one side. Imagine doing that 1300 times over. On your birthday. Does the daughter dislike her mother?

PMSL, and even if she managed to open one every 30 seconds, it'd take her over 10 hours.

I reckon the Z person will hope that she opens them alphabetically and will therefore just wrap up small stones and twigs in the hope that she'll give up or develop RSI around H

• i will most certainly post an update when i have spoken to the daughter....and if it goes ahead.

I have been so stressed about this thinking it's me!!! See, i didn't even realise tickets began with a T - couldn't get my head around it...

And have been so busy at work and summer hols i really thought i'd have to come up with 26 different and expensive items beginning with T.

Different and EXPENSIVE??? Dear god - all chip in and buy her a Merc instead.....

I told my parents about this thread and they said that for a friend's 50th birthday everyone chipped in to buy 50 presents starting with the first letter of his name. Excruciating enough to watch him open those apparently - and that was only 50!

Any news on this yet?

OP it is a barmy idea!! Don't do it - Random Question, are you a labradoodle owner???

This is hilarious! Posting so I can follow the unfolding story.

I think this is the weirdest thing I've ever heard.

I just don't understand......[deeply furrowed brow emoticon]

the tickets begin with t and will prolly cost fifty quid, just tell the organiser you thought thats what she meant, or, more controversially tell her its ridiculous and no one wants ten million bits of crap and all that cheap paraphanalia and wrapping paper is just not ethical